MEREI FAMILY PAPERS,

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1 MEREI FAMILY PAPERS, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Archives 00 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW Washington, DC Tel. (202) e mail: reference@ushmm.org Descriptive summary Title: Merei family papers Dates: Accession number: Creator: Merei family (Budapest :Hungary) Extent:.33 linear feet (2 boxes, 2 oversize boxes, 2 oversize folders) Repository: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Archives, 00 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW, Washington, DC Abstract: The collection primarily documents the wartime and post war experiences of Ernö and Ernestine (née Munk) Merei and their son John of Budapest, Hungary as they fled the country after Germany invaded in 944. The papers document the Merei s trip out of Hungary on a train known as the Kasztner transport; their detainment at the Bergen Belsen concentration camp and their eventual release to Switzerland; and their immigration to the United States in 946. Included are biographical material, identification papers, naturalization certificates, restitution claims, correspondence, and photographs. There is also some material related to the Munk and Breuer families. Languages: Hungarian, German, English Administrative Information Access: Collection is open for use, but is stored offsite. Please contact the Reference Desk more than seven days prior to visit in order to request access. Reproduction and use: Collection is available for use. Material may be protected by copyright. Please contact reference staff for further information. Preferred citation: (Identification of item), Merei family papers, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Archives, Washington, DC

2 Acquisition information: The Merei family papers were donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum by John Merey in 205. Accruals: Accruals may have been received since this collection was first processed, see archives catalog at collections.ushmm.org for further information. Processing history: Adam Fielding, May June 206 Biographical note John Merei (later John Merey, b. 940) was born in Budapest, Hungary to Ernö (Born Ernö Marmorstein, later Ernest Merey; 897 ) and Ernestine (née Munk, b. 904) Merei. Ernö had one brother, Ladislav Merei ( ), who immigrated to the United States in 939. Ernö was a civil engineer, and Ernestine s father, Gabor Munk, was the Hungarian distributer for the Manor chocolate company. The family lived in Budapest until Germany invaded Hungary on March 9, 944. Ernestine s brother in law Nisan Kahane learned of the planned transport out of Hungary organized by Rezső Kasztner, and 4 family members were able to book passage. They left Budapest on June 30, 944, and the train traveled for several days before stopping at the Bergen Belsen concentration camp. There, the Hungarian Jews were kept apart from the other prisoners. After six weeks, of John s family members were released, but John and his parents remained in the camp until December 3, 944, when they were released on a second transport to Switzerland. They arrived in St. Gallen, and then went to Montreux. The Merei family was sponsored by Ernö s brother Ladislav for immigration to the United States, and they arrived on April 27, 946 aboard the S.S. Walter M. Christiansen. They settled in New York City. John later married Daisy Breuer and become a doctor. Daisy Breuer (later Daisy Merei) is the daughter of Lily (née Roth) and Tibor Breuer. Lily and Tibor both grew up in Hungary. Tibor went to Italy to study medicine in Padua and Genoa. They married on a trip back to Budapest, and settled in Genoa where Tibor practiced dentistry and Lily cosmetology. Increasing antisemitism began to make their lives difficult. They then received notice that they had 48 hours to leave the country. They took a boat to Spain, but were not permitted to work. A 923 treaty following WWI allowed citizens of Austro Hungary to enter Tangier, Morocco without a visa, so Lily and Tibor arrived there by 943. Tibor established a new dentistry practice, and Daisy was born soon after. The family remained in Tangier until the mid 950s when they immigrated to the United States. Daisy attended Barnard College and medical school. Lily s grandparents in Budapest were deported to Auschwitz where they perished. Scope and content of collection The collection primarily documents the wartime and post war experiences of Ernö and Ernestine (née Munk) Merei and their son John of Budapest, Hungary as they fled the country after Germany invaded in 944. The papers document the Merei s trip out of Hungary on a train known as the Kasztner transport; their detainment at the Bergen Belsen concentration camp and their eventual release to Switzerland; and their immigration to the United States in 946. Included are biographical material, identification papers, naturalization certificates, restitution claims, correspondence, and photographs. There is also some material related to the Munk and Breuer families. The biographical materials contain papers related to Ernö and Ernestine Merei, their son John, Ernö s brother Ladislav Merei and his wife Luba, his father Samu Marmorstein, and Ernestine s father Gabor Munk. Included are birth certificates, identification papers, naturalization certificates, restitution claims, 2

3 Ernö s autobiography, and a research paper on the Kasztner transport by John s daughter DeAnne Merey. Ernö s wartime papers include documents regarding their safe deposit box in Lausanne, Switzerland; Ernö s ineligibility for the Hungarian draft; a certificate regarding Ernö s cousin Andor Vandor in El Salvador; and permission to travel. The correspondence primarily consists of letters from Ernö and Ernestine Merei and Andor Vandor in Budapest to Ladislav Merei in the United States, There are also small amounts of correspondence to Ernö Merei, Ernestine Merei, and Lily and Tibor Breuer. The photographs document the Merei, Munk, and Breuer families. There are prewar, wartime, and postwar photographs, and Included are childhood albums of Ernö Merei and Daisy Breuer along with an album of Ladislav and Luba Merei. System of arrangement The collection is arranged alphabetically as three series: Series : Biographical materials, Series 2: Correspondence, Series 3: Photographs, circa 900 circa 987 Indexing terms Person: Merei, Ernö, 897 Merei, Ernestine, 904 Merei, Ladislav, Merey, John, 940 Merey, Daisy Breuer, Lily Breuer, Tibor Kasztner, Rezső Rudolf, Corporate: Bergen Belsen (Concentration camp) Topical Subject: World War, Jews Rescue Hungary Budapest. Jewish families Hungary Budapest. Holocaust survivors. Holocaust ( ) Personal narratives. Emigration & immigration United States Geography: Budapest (Hungary) Tangier (Morocco) Switzerland. Genre/Form: 3

4 Photographs. Photograph albums. Correspondence. CONTAINER LIST Series : Biographical materials, Marmorstein, Samu, Merei, Ernestine: Naturalization certificate, 95 Merei, Ernö: OS Oversize school documents in OS 5 Autobiography, circa Immigration papers, 946; 95 7 Wartime documents, Merei, John: My Autobiography school essay, Merei, Ladislav, Merei, Luba: Naturalization certificate, 945 Merey, DeAnne: The American Role in the Rescue of the Kastner Transport research paper, 99 Munk, Gabor: 2 Property floorplans, circa 90s 3 Will, Munk, Irma; Identification document, Restitution claims, Series 2: Correspondence, Breuer, Lily and Tibor, circa 940s Merei, Ernestine: Merei, John, Merei, Ernö: Merei, Ladislav: Merei, Hermann, Merei, Ernö and Ernestine; Vándor, Andor, Merei, Ernö and Ernestine; Vándor, Andor, 940 (2 folders) 24 Merei, Ernö and Ernestine; Vándor, Andor, 94 Series 3: Photographs, circa 900 circa Breuer, Daisy photograph album, circa 943 circa Breuer, Daisy photograph album loose photographs 2 2 Breuer family photograph album, circa 95 circa Merei, Ernestine, 938 circa 940s 4

5 2 4 Merei, Ernö, circa 930s circa Merei family, circa Merei family, Merei, John: Baby book, Photograph album, Merei, Ladislav and Luba photograph album, circa 925 circa 975 OS 2 Munk, Adolf and Rosalia Stein, Munk family, circa 900 circa 920 5

ROBERT AND LOUISE BRUNNER PAPERS,

ROBERT AND LOUISE BRUNNER PAPERS, 1901-1956 2002.152 United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Archives 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW Washington, DC 20024-2126 Tel. (202) 479-9717 e-mail: reference@ushmm.org